Saturday, April 15th, 1865

To day I am still in Liberty and still stopping with Capt. Peacock. The Steamer Mary Hill arrived from Houston being the first boat that has come up since I have been here. At home Hicks ground 1 bushel of corn. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] let Mrs. Wortham have 100 lbs of shorts. Weather variable & cool.

Monday, April 10th, 1865

To day John F. Carr, John Beazley & myself with 6 negro fellows left Smithfield on the flat boat in route for Liberty. we dropped down the river 30 miles and tied up for the night. At home Hicks ground 5 bushels of corn. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] let Mrs. John Wortham have 50 lbs of flour. Weather cloudy & cool with a rain throughout the day & very disagreeable at night.

Sunday, March 12th, 1865

To day I rode my mule John over to see John Wortham and spent the day with him. I found poor John perfectly demented. In the evening I arrived at home & found Father [Joshua James Hall], Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts], Mrs. Byrd and Miss Wilson all there and had spent the day with the little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp]. Weather variable & warm with a very high wind blowing.

*This Mahala is a 3rd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog.

Tuesday, March 7th, 1865

To day John is at work around the house. Mrs. Lacy & Mrs. Wortham came out and spent the day. I let Mrs. Wortham have 10 lbs of flour at 6$ which she paid. James Roberts and his brother William left for the camp. Josephine [Josephine Martha Hall] had a fever. Hicks ground 10 bushels of wheat & 2½ bushels of corn. A soldier stopped all night. Weather variable, with a light shower of rain.

Sunday, Janary 24th, 1864

To day I remained at home writing up this note book. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] came up and spent the day. Father [Joshua James Hall] called in as he returned from Maj. Wortham's. Weather clear and pleasant, another spring day.

Saturday, November 14th, 1863

To day the boys are still at work in the woods splitting boards. Hicks is at work making a sand bolster for the wagon. I ground 24 bushels of corn. Major Wortham came to see me and remained until after dinner when he left for home. Late in the evening Nellie [Mary Alexandrien Sharp nee Lemaire] returned home from her visit to Hall's bluff. weather clear & cold with hard frost at night.

Monday, October 19th, 1863

To day the boys are still at work putting up the fence around the new ground in the mill field. John still hauling rails and made two loads. My son James [James Wrigley Hall] missed the chill & fever. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] went with Burt [Roberta Downes Halyard nee Hall] and entered her at Mrs. Brooks' school for one session and also put her to boarding with Major Wortham at 8$ per month. My daughter Florence attained her third birth day. she is very well grown for her age. Mother came by on her way home from Major Wortham's and carried Pet [Florence Mahala Hall] home with her. I ground 12 bushes of corn after which Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] & I took up the stones and pecked them. Weather changeable & warm with a very strong wind blowing from the S.E. and indications of rain.

Saturday, March 9th, 1861

To day I went to Crockett by the way of Wortham's mill. I contracted for a little wagon with Mr. Lacy. I paid Douglass, the assr. & collector the sum of $62.55 Mother's [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] taxes. at home the hands are still at work on the mill house. I also returned home from Crockett in the evening. The mill ground 13½ bushels of meal. weather clear & rather warm.

Monday, February 4th, 1861

To day I went to Crockett, and while there paid Robert George for the bale of cotton purchased on last Saturday. I made out an exhibit as admin. of Gillepsie dec'd. & turned over all the papers belonging to said decedent to William Wortham taking his receipt therefor. weather clear & very cold.

Friday, November 30th, 1860

To day John Williams, Brown, Alex. Baker, Charley Hall, Frank Stewart, Darby, Masoline, Albert, Joe & Mrs. Bird's 3 negroes worked on the levy but to little or no good. in the evening I went to Daileys Store. Father came up & remained all day. I recd by Mr. Keen 1 Keg of nails. weather clear & cool. Bill made 1 load from Wortham's Mill, bringing 604 ft.

Thursday, November 29th, 1860

To day Darby, Masoline, Albert, Joe & Frank Stewart came to work. Bill made 1 load from Wortham's Mill 560 ft. John Williams came to work about 11 O'clock & Mrs. Bird sent 2 _____ me & Brown after dinner I returned to Mrs. Bird 69 lbs. of beef heretofore borrowed from her. Mr. Brown done no work on this day. In the evening Alex Baker came out. I sent to Fathers by Charley Hall for some nails, who sent me 29 lbs. I also killed one hog & recd. one half of a beef. weather clear & cool.

Tuesday, November 27th, 1860

To day I went to Fathers to procure some hands to assist in fixing the dam. John Harwell went to Wortham's Mill for lumber to repair the Mill. weather rainy & disagreeable.

Saturday, November 10th, 1860

To day I went to Crockett and had the old place offered for sale. I also went to Wortham's Mill. weather clear & warm for the season.

Thursday, May 10th, 1860

To day I went to Crockett, and while there commenced a sign for Haden & Wortham. at home at work in the Cotton. weather clear & warm.

John Wortham 1804-1867

• Born 10 May 1804 in North Carolina
• Died 12 November 1867 in Houston County, Texas
• Buried Wortham Family Cemetery, Houston County, Texas; findagrave

John Wortham - A pioneer area landowner and farmer, John Wortham (1804-67) was a petitioner for the creation of Houston County in 1837. He later served as a captain of an independent ranger company, as major in the Republic of Texas Army and as quartermaster of the Texas Militia. In addition to his military service, he was a trustee of Trinity College and was appointed to the first Board of Land Commissioners for the Texas Republic. He also owned a local sawmill and gristmill. Twice married, Wortham was the father of 12 children. He was buried on this land (2.3 miles SW). 

MAJOR JOHN WORTHAM FAMILY GRAVES. Some five miles north of Crockett off US-287 then two miles more on FM-2160 is the one-time John Wortham Plantation of 1830-1860s. Access road is across from the Spring Creek Country Club entrance. Spring Creek was once a part of the Wortham plantation. Mrs. Rose Skalicky and sons Joe Charles and Larry are present owners. Along with the family burial plot is the original Wortham log cabin, now used as a barn. At the burial site, a granite marker presented in 1935 honors Major John Wortham, as an independent Ranger commanding officer of the 1830's and a member of the Texas Army. On his marble grave stone is listed:

WORTHAM
• Major John; b: 5-10-1800; d: 11-12-1867

Two other gravestones are:

WORTHAM
• John Jr.; b: 1-29-1846; d: 4-11-1886; s/o John & Carey Ann Vaughan Wortham
• Melchijah; (also Bud) b: 8-4-1852; d: 9-12-1875; s/o John & Carey Ann Vaughan Wortham

A further Texas Historical Marker was placed at the US-287 intersection with the FM-2160 to John Wortham in 1981. This tells of his contributions as a pioneer developer of Houston County and as commander of an independent Ranger Company for the Republic of Texas. A maternal great grand-daughter Eliza H. Bishop sponsored the Marker so that the inaccessible Wortham plantation site and burial grounds might become public knowledge to the highway travelers.